Runaway Slave: A History of Escape in 10 Objects
The brainchild of Cornell University, Freedom on the Move (@fotmproject) is on a mission to digitize thousands of runaway slave ads. Their site serves as both a chronicle and memorial to thousands of American slaves who didn’t wait for the emancipation proclamation. They liberated themselves. Heading to the non slave holding states of the north, Canada, Mexico, and even starting their own communities off the grid.
I stumbled across their website while researching Frederick Douglass blog posts. His own runaway story was so compelling I knew I had to revisit the theme of escape in it’s own right . My research led me to Freedom on the Move and I spent several hours reading through their advertisements. I was at once filled with sadness, satisfaction, wonder, and deep respect. Last I checked the website had 22,326 runaway slave ads. That’s 22,326 successful or attempted escapes. That’s 22,326 acts of courage, desperation, and determination. Each advertisement represents the life of an ordinary human being who did an extraordinary thing. Some of their getaways could’ve rivaled the most death defying escapes of Harry Houdini or David Copperfield.
They walked, ran, swam, canoed, galloped and even mailed themselves to freedom. They dawned disguises, hid out for months and years, and even founded communities deep in the swamps for freedom. They lied, plotted, schemed, and invented their way to freedom. They left behind families, friends, husbands, and children. Some may have thinking “better one than none” while others hoped to reunite later— that is if they were fortunate to even know their families at all.
Imagine trying to get 200-300- or even upwards of 700 miles to freedom. On foot. With cutthroat slave catchers and bloodthirsty hounds at your heels fixated on your recapture.
Insane amounts of courage were required.
It is estimated that over 100,000 people took the chance to escape slavery over it’s existence in the United States. Those who thought the reward of freedom was a bigger opportunity than the risk of capture, torture, or even death.
Most of us can’t imagine the level of unfreeness slavery exerted, but we can empathize. If we think about what an utter and total loss of freedom means, we too may imagine an escape attempt at all cost.
In light of so many escapes I began to wonder. How did they do it? Or what did they take with them? Facing vast wilderness, dehydration, hypothermia, and hunger. Thinking of recapture and facing uncertainty what could have helped them? What objects if any may have aided the runaway slave in their escape and survival?
Let’s explore what those items may have been and the history behind them:
1862. Artist Eastman Johnson portrayed an enslaved family galloping for the safety of Union lines during the Civil War. Unlike most freedom paintings of the time, it shows African Americans as independent agents of their own freedom.
1862. Artist Eastman Johnson portrayed an enslaved family galloping for the safety of Union lines during the Civil War. Unlike most freedom paintings of the time, it shows African Americans as independent agents of their own freedom.
PERCUSSION PISTOL
Fear of capture and danger was heavy motivation for an escaped slave to carry a pistol. The single shot percussion cap pistol was a popular model in the mid 19th century. Reliable and good in various weather conditions. We know that Harriet Tubman carried a similar one. Her and others would have resolved to die over being recaptured.
HARD TACK
Somewhere within the large collection of the Minnesota Historical Society museum (@mnhs) is a cracker that remains edible over 150 years after its creation. This cheap bread was simple to make (water,flour, salt) and lasts an eternity . Nicknamed “tooth dullers” the hard bread may have done better chewing at your teeth than your teeth chewing the bread. At any rate, this food would have initially sustained many escaped slaves through a brutally long migration.
KNIFE
There may have been no better survival tool for the runaway slave than a basic knife. Moving under the cover of darkness and through the dense woods of pre-modern America escape many runaways took on the role of survivalists. A knife would have had so many uses: cutting, eating, clearing, chopping, defending, or even cauterizing wounds. This sharp and pointy object could be used for constructing shelter and traps. The dangers of slave catchers were terrible enough—but the wilderness would have added an additional layer of challenges. A good knife in capable hands could have been the difference of life and death.
FREE PAPERS
Imagine risking your freedom for that of another.
Countless free African Americans did in the 19th century. Risking their own imprisonment and slavery by giving or lending their only document proving they were free. Frederick Douglass and thousands of other slaves used borrowed or forged free papers to escape American slavery:
“In these papers the name, age, color, height and form of the free man were described, together with any scars or other marks upon his person which could assist in his identification. This device of slaveholding ingenuity, like other devices of wickedness, in some measure defeated itself—since more than one could be found to answer the same general description. Hence many slaves could escape by impersonating the owner of one set of papers; and this was often done as follows: A slave nearly or sufficiently answering the description set forth in the papers, would borrow or hire them till he could by their means escape to a free state, and then, by mail or otherwise, return them to the owner.”
-Frederick Douglass, Narrative In the Life of Frederick Douglass
CANOE
Canoes, which can navigate very shallow and narrow passages were often a clever choice for an escape. With no steam power or motors runaway slaves would have pushed and paddled their way to freedom through sheer will. With no maps they navigating pitch darkness guided by the light of the north star. There are many stories of slaves who loaded themselves and their families on log canoes and wadded north to freedom.
HORSE
I saddled my pony, went into the cellar where I kept my grass seed apparatus, put my clothes into a pair of saddlebags, and them into my seed-bag, and thus equipped set sail for the North Star.
- Lewis Clarke, Narrative of the Sufferings of Lewis Clark (1845)
A horse with it’s swift stride would have been a welcome choice for anyone seeking freedom. Many slaves worked in stables and were experienced riders so this mode of transportation may have been a good option. Horse underneath them, hands on the reigns galloping to freedom.
MONEY
You’d be correct in thinking that slaves rarely received material benefits beyond shoddy shelter, meager food, and cotton clothing. Yet, some plantation slaves earned money entertaining or as a motivational reward. Telling fortunes or playing fiddles and banjos. Some even sold handicrafts. In the states farther north like Maryland slaves were able to earn money thanks to the hiring-out system. In this arraignment slaves were often allowed to keep a very small portion of earnings they made as hired hands. Any money a slave could earn would’ve been extremely helpful in their escape.
FISHING HOOK
In some of the many archaeological digs taking place on slave plantations interesting objects have been found in slave quarters . Combs, buttons, scissors, spoons, pots, bone handled knives, and fishing hooks. Think of how much easier surviving the wilderness and eating would be with a simple fishing hook. It’s one of the most important inventions in history for a reason.
BINDLE
Somehow the stick and suspended bag, historically known as the Bindlestick have become the universal symbol for hobos and homelessness. In the 18th century, it was the image of runaway slaves. I highly doubt that slaves threw their belongings in a sack on a stick, threw it on their shoulder,s and escaped into the night. Yet this became the logo for the runaway slave movement, one that encouraged slaves to escape for freedom.
TOOTHBRUSH
You probably wouldn’t imagine a bone-handled toothbrush with bristles of pine or animal hair as something a slave would take with them on an escape. But with the gripping fear of recapture, a familiar item as simple as a toothbrush may have brought comfort and assurance.
I can’t pretend to imagine the horrors of slavery, the daunting idea of escaping it, or the tremendous courage to actually go through with running away .
I’m also no expert in slave belongings. But by piecing together their stories I was able to identify objects they may have taken on their dangerous journeys. Some of the most fascinating and human aspects of history are the least explored.
The personal items of runaway slaves is an excellent example. As always, I appreciate your readership. Share this if you think others may find this information interesting.
Want to learn more? Check out a couple of highly recommended books on the subject:
